Reserves how-to (for faculty)

eReserves (electronic reserves) provides students with access to supplementary course materials, such as single chapters from books or articles from journals, magazines, or newspapers.

To create a new eReserves page, submit your course information to the Reserve Librarian using this form.

To add additional documents to an already existing eReserves page, email libreserve@jjay.cuny.edu with the document(s) attached and include in the email body the full citation(s) and associated course number. Documents must be submitted at least one week before their assigned reading date.

Linked documents: If the article is from a journal to which we have an online subscription, we will link into that database from the course page in eReserve. Include the URL (permalink) in the submission form.

Digital files: If you already have digital copies of the items you wish to post, there will be at point at which to upload them via the submission form along with their full citations.

Documents to scan: Many materials are already available to John Jay in digital form. Please use Journal Search to check for online access. If the publication is not available online, you can scan and digitize them yourself or drop off a clear photocopy at the Library Reserve Desk for the library staff to do so.

Once your course page is set up, the password assigned, and contact information exchanged, faculty may submit additional scanned documents or database or web links to be posted on the page.

Faculty may also submit limited quantities of materials to the Reserve Desk for scanning: i.e., a clear, unstapled photocopy of a single article from a journal/magazine/newspaper, or a single chapter from a book, along with the complete citation for the work.

NOTE: Poor photocopies scan badly, resulting in illegible text, large files that download slowly, and a generally frustrated reader. All materials must be accompanied by the full citation for each work. Materials are placed on eReserve only when they comply with our copyright policy.

It is extremely important that faculty do not rely solely on the eReserves platform to retain course material. Due to copyright guidelines and rare but potential technological insecurity, there is no guarantee that materials will remain available from semester to semester. Maintaining your own copies and organizational structure is incumbent upon you.

Can't find your eReserves page?

eReserve pages will be automatically deactivated at the end of each semester. To reactivate an eReserves page for the current semester, email the Reserve Librarian with the course name and number.

Problems with eReserves documents

While we try to ensure that documents are scanned accurately and completely, problems do occasionally arise. Professors are strongly encouraged to LOOK AT and CHECK their documents on eReserves before the date when the students are assigned the readings. We can then resolve any problems, e.g. missing pages or illegible text, before the readings are due.

Optimizing PDFs for accessibility

Following recommended steps will enable PDFs to be searchable and readable by assistive technologies.

If scanning documents before submitting or posting yourself, please make every effort to create PDFs that are accessibility compliant using the options on your scanner settings. Here is a guide.

If photocopying or scanning pages from a book or journal, avoid photocopying 2 pages side by side. Copy single pages instead.

We encourage individual faculty to manage their own eReserves page(s). This enables you to post documents at any time you like and label and list the documents in whatever way suits you best. Please email the Reserve Librarian to request a manager account.

NOTE: eReserves pages must comply with the Library reserve copyright policies. Faculty who post materials in excess of fair use and in gross violation of copyright law will have eReserves privileges revoked.

If you had self-managing permissions in the "old" eReserves system (prior to June 2015), you will need to request that a new account be created. If you already have your *new* log in credentials, you may enter them here.

Books are given a 3-hour loan period, unless another loan period (1 day, 3 days, or 1 week) is arranged. CDs and DVDs may also be put on Reserve.

Videos are de facto on reserve and can be requested via call number at the Circulation Desk in the Library's Media Room. To reserve a video for classroom use, use this form.

Please note that books brought to the Reserve Desk will not be immediately available for loan, as they must be properly processed and relocated.

Books, CDs, and DVDs owned by faculty

Beginning January 2016, personal copies from faculty for reserve will by default be considered library donations and will be given Library of Congress call numbers (not faculty surname). If you would like to reclaim personal copies at any time, please collect them at the Reserve Desk (it is helpful to have the call number on hand).

Books, CDs, and DVDs belonging to individual professors may be submitted at the Reserve Desk. The staff member will ask you to complete a form or you may print and complete it in advance (.doc).

The Library is not responsible for lost or damaged personal items placed on reserve.

Copyrighted materials will be kept at the Reserve Desk only in accordance with our copyright policy.

Note: The library does not normally purchase textbooks. Students are strongly encouraged to buy textbooks required for their courses. Professors who have adopted, or are thinking of adopting, a particular text for a course are reminded that textbook publishers, when asked directly by instructors, often provide one or two “desk copies” of texts. We would be happy to keep a desk copy on reserve. Please note that books owned by other libraries may not be placed on reserve at John Jay.

Plan ahead

It takes time to process reserve requests. Processing materials includes changing loan periods and locations in the catalog for library books, creating new records in the catalog for non-library owned materials, and scanning, transferring and labelling files for Electronic Reserve. While we are happy to accept reserve requests at any time, please be aware that materials left in the Library to be put on Reserve will not be available to students immediately. We try to comply with requests quickly, but staff schedules and other limitations prevent us from providing immediate service.

To ensure that readings are available to students on the first day of class, please submit your requests and materials to us at least three weeks before the start of the semester. During the semester, please allow one week between leaving the materials, and assigning the readings to your students (materials are often available much sooner – but we can’t guarantee it).